Automatic railway gate



Jan. 17, 1926. 1,656,469

' A. BRUCHMANN AUTOMATIC hAILwM GATE Filed Nov. 5, 192 6 INVENTOR Z6 A.Bz iickmam ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1928 TES UNITED S A ARTHUR naflcnammv, or TYLER, MINNESOTA.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY GATE. 1

Application filed November 5,1926. Serial No. 146,302.

The main object of-this invention isto provide afrailroad gate suitable for use at railway crossings. The railroad gate works in an automatic manner and is used in combination with an overheadwire which forms part of a circuit for'illuminatinga signal lamp and actuating solenoids whlch automatically lower the gates at an instant when a locomotive closes the circuit thru the overhead trolley wire.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the description below, in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts in the drawing.

Referring-briefly to the drawing, Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view, showing the railroad gates and the mechanism for actuating the same.

Figure 2 is a. diagrammatic view, showing the wiring diagram of the circuits used for actuating the gates and signal lamp.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the gates in raised position. Referring in detail to the drawing, the

; numeral 10 indicates the roadbed upon which rails 11 and 12 are seated. At a position where a vehicular road traverses the rails, pedestals 13and 14 are mounted on opposite sides of the vehicular road, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 3. These pedestals project from the surface of a base plate 15, which latter covers a compartment 16. Ears 17 project downwardly from the base plate 15 and journal at grooved pulley 18. The pedestals pivotally support gate arms 19 and 20by studs 21 in such manner that the longer portion of these gate arms span across the vehicular road and project a short distance from the opposite side of the pivotal point. These gate arms are provided with pivoted legs 22 which support the same when said gate arms are in lowered position, as indicated in Figure 1. The shorter ends of the gate arms have one end of cables 23 and 24 attached thereto. These cables train about the grooved pulleys 18 and extend from said pulleys thru conduits .25 into a subterranean chamber 26 which is constructed beneath the vehicular road and uses 'a' pair of solenoids 27 and 28. The plungers 30 of these solenoids are pivotally connected to bars 31 and 32 intermediate their length in slots provided in said bars. These bars are pivotally anchored at their lower ends between cars 33 and the upper ends of said bars have the cables 2st andi23 attached thereto; 4 i a l The gates are adapted to be simultaneously lifted and lowered and are located on opposite sides of the railroad bed so that the long ends of the gate arms 19 and 20 span a vehicular roadbed which traverses a railroad bed. An overhead trolley wire 34 forms an electrical lead thru signal lamps 35 and 36 located on opposite sides of the railroad bed. This circuit has connected thereto in series, the permanent magnets solenoids 27 and 28. The latter normally retain their cores, and are wound so that they expel the cores upon cncrgization of the solenoids. The electrical connections are as follows: the lamps 35 and 36 are bridged across the rail 11 and .wire 34 so that each lamp is in parallel circuit with respect to the other and the lamps are energized by the battery 39 through the rail and wire. The solenoids 27 and 28 on each side of the track are in series with each other and the two pans of solenoids 27 and 28 are in parallel with each other and similarly bridged across the rail 11 and wire 34, through which they are onergized by the battery 39. When a shoe 37 mounted on the locomotive, which is shown diagrammatically by the circle 38, contacts with a portion of the rail 11 and the overhead trolle wire 34, the circuit is closed through so enoids 29 and 28 and through lamps 35 and 36, illuminating the lamps 35 and 36 and energizing the solenoids thus expelling the plunger-s 30, the cables 24 and 23 consequently being paid out, permitting the gates to be lowered. When the train has passed and becomes disengaged from the overhead trolley wire 34, which only extends a short distance, or as much as is required on both sides of the vehicular crossing, the circuit is again broken and the solenoids retract the plungers 30, taking up the cables 23 and 24, thereby lifting the gate arms 19 and 20 to the raised positlon, as indicated in Figure 3. The source of energy 39, such as a battery of cells, is located on the locomotive andas every crossin I is arrived at, the lamps 35 and 36 are illuminated and the solenoids are simultaneously.energized and perform their function of lowering the gates until such time as the train has completely passed the crossing.

I claim In a device of the class described, railroad gates, pedestals pivotally supporting said gates, said gates being arranged on both sides of a railroad bed at the intersection between said railroad and a roadway, the railroad bed having a subterranean chamber beneath it, levers in said chamber, solenoids actuating-said levers, cables connected to said levers and gates, said cables when pulled lifting said gates, grooved rollers mounted beneath said pedestals, the cables extending horizontally from the levers to the rollers and vertically from the rollers to the gates being attached to the latter, said levers in said chamberbeing slotted, nlungers in said solenoids engagiiw the slotted portion of said levers, said p lingers normally holding said gates in substantially verical position, and electrical means for energizing said solenoids to expel said plungers, thereby releasing the pl'ungers and cables and allowing said. gates to fall by gravity.

In testimony whereof I aflixed my signature.

ARTHUR BRUCHMANN. 

